This invention relates to gaming systems and, in particular, to gaming systems in which a progressive jackpot is utilized.
In a traditional gaming machine or device, such as, for example, a slot machine, poker machine, keno machine, etc., the player inserts monetary amounts by coin, token, paper currency or other entry (e.g., automatic entry by pushing a button) to play one or more games on the gaming machine. These monetary amounts are usually translated into a number of units of the lowest unit of currency receivable by the machine, referred to herein as the unit bet. Translation into unit bets is typically carried out by representing each unit bet as a single pulse so that the generation of N pulses would correspond to a currency entry equal to N unit bets. Thus, in a gaming machine whose unit bet equals $0.25, entry of a dollar would amount to 4 unit bets, resulting in the generation of 4 pulses.
Upon entry of a monetary amount, the gaming machine examines the generated unit bet pulses and determines therefrom which games and/or awards the player qualifies for. The player is then normally required to take some action (e.g., pulling the lever arm in a slot machine) to institute playing of the game.
Once the player takes this action, the gaming machine carries out the necessary activities for its game cycle which might require certain further actions and choices by the player. Once these activities are completed, the gaming machine determines whether the player has won the game or not (e.g., in a slot machine whether one or more reels have a winning combination or not). If the game has been won, the player is given the award established by the gaming machine for the particular game being played. Typically, the award is a return of monetary amounts in excess of the amounts entered to play the game. Once the gaming machine completes payout for a won game or determines that the player has not won, the gaming cycle has been completed. The gaming machine then resets so as to be able to again receive monetary amounts to begin another game cycle.
In order to stimulate play on the gaming machines, a so-called "progressive gaming system" has been added in which, in addition to the normal games being played on each of the gaming machines, the machines are linked together so that in playing on the machines, players compete for an additional common award or jackpot. In this type of system, a programmed controller is provided for linking the machines together. The controller receives from the machines unit bet and machine identification information and supplies to the players, either through displays provided on the respective machines and/or a common overhead display, information as to the common jackpot.
The controller of the system controls the progressive game during each game cycle by first establishing a jackpot-win amount or value in a random manner from between maximum and minimum jackpot values. The controller then also establishes a base value which is used as an initial amount for a current jackpot amount, which is the jackpot amount reported by the controller to the machine displays and/or the overhead display and displayed to the players. The current jackpot amount is recalculated or incremented by the controller each time a game is played at each gaming machine. The controller does this by adding to the current jackpot amount an increment value based on the number of unit bets entered at the particular gaming machine multiplied by a fixed increment rate per unit bet.
To this end, each gaming machine, as above-indicated, reports its unit bet information to the controller upon a player playing the machine so that the current jackpot value can be appropriately incremented. The gaming machine is also identified to the controller with the bet information so that the controller knows which gaming machine resulted in the increment.
After each increment of the current jackpot, the controller compares the new current jackpot value with the jackpot-win value which it previously randomly established and stored. If the new value is less than the jackpot-win value, the controller merely updates the current jackpot value and communicates the updated value to the displays at the gaming machines and/or the overhead display. The controller then continues to monitor the unit bet information indicative of game play from the gaming machines and to increment the current jackpot value based thereon.
When an increment to the current jackpot value causes the value to reach or become equal to the jackpot-win value, the controller determines that the jackpot has been won by the gaming machine which resulted in the increment. The controller communicates this to the winning gaming machine and the appropriate payment of the jackpot-win amount is made to the player.
After a jackpot has been won, the controller then institutes a new game cycle in which it resets the progressive jackpot by randomly selecting from values between the maximum and minimum jackpot values a new jackpot-win value. The controller then also resets the current jackpot value to the base value and begins incrementing this value based on the fixed increment and the game play (as evidenced by the unit bet information) of the linked machines. As before, this incrementing continues until the current jackpot value reaches the new jackpot-win value and the progressive jackpot is again won. The controller then repeats the progressive game cycle based on continued game play, as above-described.
The above type of progressive system has been sold by the assignee of the present application under the name Mikohn Mystery Progressive Jackpot System in which the programmed controller used is a Mikohn Model No. CONT-2 controller. While this system and its added jackpot have proved satisfactory in stimulating game play on the linked gaming machines, it has been observed that game play tends to decrease immediately after the progressive jackpot has been won. Not until the displayed current jackpot value increases considerably above the initially reset base value does game play increase to its more usual levels. This fall-off in game play is a result of the players on the gaming machines being reluctant to institute game play when the displayed current jackpot value is close to the initial base value, since they know that the value will likely increase to a more substantial level.
Fall-off in game play at any time is of course undesirable and detracts from the benefits of the added progressive gaming system. Another detracting feature of the progressive system is that the pay-out at a winning machine has to be manually performed by gaming personnel, once a machine has been identified as winning the added jackpot. This limits the overall adaptability of the system. As a result, while the aforesaid mystery progressive jackpot system provides some degree of stimulation for game play, there is still a continued effort to develop additional ways to increase player interest.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved progressive jackpot gaming system of the above type.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a progressive jackpot gaming system of the above type which has been modified to further stimulate game play.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a progressive jackpot gaming system of the above type which has been modified to attempt to lessen fall-off in game play after the progressive jackpot has been won.
It is still further object of the present invention to provide a progressive gaming system of the above type in which payout of the progressive jackpot at a gaming machine is more readily accomplished.